Fill-up shoe for well pipes



Jan. 23, 1968 c. c. BROWN ET AL 3,364,999

FILL-UP SHOE FOR WELL PIPES I Filed Feb. 14, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l F fig. Z (Z/dfRo 0. BROWN (/05 R. BRO WN INVENTORS ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1968 c. c. BROWN ET AL 3,364,999

FILL-UP SHOE FOR WELL PIPES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1956 fllERO 6. BROWN L/Of' R. BRUWN INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1968 c. c. BROWN ET AL 3,364,999

FILL-UP SHOE FOR WELL PIPES Filed Feb. 14, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 LldE/PO C. BBOWN .10: 1e. 52 w/v INVE TOR.

3,364,999 FHL-UP SHOE FOR WELL PIPES Cicero C. Brown, Brown Oil Tools, Inc., R0. Box 19236 77024, and Joe R. Brown, 5649 Tupper Lake 77027, both of Houston, Tex.

Filed Feb. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 527,345 Claims. (Cl. 166225) This invention relates to well tools and particularly to a fill-up shoe which is commonly attached to the lower end of a string of well pipe being run into a well bore.

In US. Patent No. 3,662,296, a form of fill-up shoe is disclosed which functions in response to the differential in pressure between the fluid columns inside and outside the pipe string to regulate the rate at which the pipe string fills up with fluid being displaced thereby as it is run into the well bore. The fill-up shoe also includes a backpressure valve which is initially held in inactive relation to the valve port which it controls but which is rendered active to function as a back-pressure valve by relative movement of the valve seat in response to the introduction of a plugging element operative to close the flow port against outflow of fluid from the pipe. Fill-up shoes of the general character disclosed in the patent are ordinarily used in connection with well cementing operations and have proven very useful, particularly in cementing Well liners. However, since actuation of the back-pressure valve in the patented shoe is effected by means which also functions to close-off the shoe against outward flow of fluid, this type of shoe has been useful only where the plugging device follows the body of cement which is introduced into the well bore through the shoe.

Improved cementing procedures, particularly liner cementing procedures, make it desirable to use a cementing plug in advance of the cement body, as Well as in back of it, in order to separate both ends of the column of cement from the preceding well fluids and the following displacing fluid. The form of fill-up shoe disclosed in the aforesaid patent does not, therefore, lend itself to such two-plug procedure because seating of the first plug in the shoe would, as noted previously, cut off further outward fiow from the pipe string, and would, therefore, prevent discharge of the cement into the Well.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improvement in a fill-up shoe of the kind disclosed in the aforesaid patent by which seating of a first plug will serve not only to actuate the back-pressure valve to enable it to perform its function of shutting off back flow of fluid into the pipe string, but will, at the same time, open fluid passageways, bypassing the plugging device which has actuated the backpressure valve and establishing communication for outward flow of fluid, usually cement, through the shoe, so that the cement or other fluid following the first plug may be delivered into the well bore through the shoe as may be required in connection with the cementing operation.

More specifically, the improvement in accordance with this invention contemplates the provision of a sleeve member coaxially disposed in the body of the shoe above the valve mechanism and releasably connected to the body. The sleeve member has a bore adapted to receive a plugging device to close the bore so that fluid pressure may be applied to the closed sleeve in a manner to effect its release from its connection to the body of the shoe and to cause the sleeve to be shifted downwardly into operative engagement with the valve-actuating mechanism. The sleeve member, when so shifted, cooperates with elements of the valve mechanism to define fluid United States Patent O 3,364,99 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 passages bypassing the plugged sleeve member and communicating the interior of the pipe string to which it is attached with the flow port through the back-pressure valve.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates useful embodiments in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the combination device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, showing the position of the parts when the device is being run into a well bore on the end of a pipe string;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the parts in the position occupied after actuation of the backpressure valve and formation of the fluid by-pass passages, the parts being shown in the position permitting outflow of fluid through the back-pressure valve;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the positions of the parts with the back-pressure valve operative to prevent back flow of fluid;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 1 of a modified form of the device; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views showing the parts, respectively, in positions corresponding to those shown in FIGS 2 and 3.

Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, the shoe comprises a generally tubular housing or body 10 having a bore 11 closed at its lower end by a cap 12 threadedly secured thereto. The upper end of body 16 is adapted to be threadedly attached to a coupling 13 by means of which the shoe may be connected to the lower end of a well pipe, such as a liner L, which is being run into a well bore through a well casing C. Coupling 13 has a tubular lower end flange 14 which is inserted inside the upper end of body 16 and is threadedly secured thereto at 15. The lower end of body It} is provided immediately above cap 12 with a plurality of angularly spaced, narrow vertical slots 16 for enabling fiow of fluid from and to the interior of the housing. Cap 12 may also be provided with a plurality of openings 17 likewise communicating the interior of the housing with the exterior thereof. An abutment ring 18 is threadedly secured to body It at a point immediately above slots 16 and serves as a lower limit stop for a seat ring 19 slidably disposed in bore 11 above the abutment ring. Seat ring 19 has an axial flow port 20, comprising the principal flow passage through the shoe. The flow port merges into a down wardly and outwardly tapering surface forming a valve seat 21 for engagement by a conventional ball-shaped valve 22, which is resiliently biased toward seat 21 by a coil spring 23 mounted in compression between valve 22 and cap 12.

Upward movement of ball valve 22 is limited by a stop bar 24 which extends transversely of body 10 in the path of movement of valve 22. Seat ring 19 is provided with a transverse vertical slot 25 to accommodate stop bar 24, the slot being open to the upper end of the seat ring and closed at a point therein adjacent seat 21 to permit a limited degree of axial movement of the seat ring with respect to valve 22. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, with the seat ring in its uppermost position, seat 21 will have been moved out of engagement with valve 22 which is held by stop bar 24, thus effectively holding the valve in the port-opening position with respect to seat 21. As seen in FIG. 2, when seat ring 19 has been moved downwardly into contact with stop ring 18, as will be described subsequently, seat 21 will be positioned for engagement with valve 22 so that it may function as a back-pressure check valve, thus effectively releasing the valve for movement to the port-closing position.

A keeper or latch ring 26 is slidably positioned in bore 11 immediately above seat ring-19 and has an axial opening 27 therethrough registering with port 20. A split snap ring 28, of conventional resilient construction, is seated in a groove 29 provided in the outer periphery of ring 26. A plurality of vertically disposed coil springs 31 are positioned in circumferentially spaced relation between the lower end of latching ring 26 and the upper end of seat ring 19 to normally urge these members apart. The ends of the springs are seated in sockets 32 and 33 in the seat ring and latching ring, respectively. Snap ring 28 is adapted to be received in an upper or a lower one of two latching grooves 34 and 35, respectively, provided in the wall of body 19 in vertically spaced relation to each other. The relative shapes of snap ring 28 and of the end walls of grooves 34 and 35 are such as to permit downward movement of latch ring 26 under axial pressure from an upper position at which snap ring 28 is locked in groove 34, into a lower position at which the snap ring is locked in groove 35, while preventing upward movement of the latch ring from either of these positions, once attained. A seal ring, such as a conventional O-ring 35, is mounted in the outer periphery of seat ring 19 to sealingly engage the wall of bore 11.

A tubular sleeve 40 having an axial bore 41 is concentrically disposed in bore 11 and is made to a smaller diameter than body to provide the annular space 42 therebetween. The upper end of sleeve 40 extends into the bore of flange 14 and is releasably secured thereto by means of shear pins 43. When so-connected to flange 14, the lower end of sleeve 40 will be disposed in body 10 at a point vertically spaced above latch ring 26. The lower end of sleeve 49 is provided with a plurality of radial channels 44 adapted, when the lower end of the sleeve is engaged With the upper of latch ring 26 (FIG. 2), to provide a plurality of fluid passages 44 communicating annular space 42 with port 29 through opening 27. The bore of sleeve 40 is provided, near its lower end at a point above passages 44, with an internal latching shoulder 45 adapted to receive and inter-engage with a plugging device of a suitable character adapted to close-oil bore 41 against fluid flow therethrough, for purposes to be subsequently described. The plug means employed for this purpose may be of the composite sealing form, designated generally by the letter P and illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and disclosed in detail in the copending application Ser. No. 525,065, filed Feb. 4, 1966, by one of the co-inventors of the present invention. Since the details of the particular form of plug do not form a part of the present invention, it may also constitute a simple ball, designated generally by the letter B, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, to be described more fully hereinafter. In short, the means for plugging bore 41 of sleeve 49 may be of any suitable form or shape, so long as it is capable of closing bore 41 sufficiently tightly to permit application thereto of fluid pressure great enough to break shear pins 43 during operation of the device and shift sleeve 41) downwardly into engagement with latch ring 26.

OPERATION The device is operated as follows, reference being had initially to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive. In FIG. 1, the parts of the shoe and the valve elements contained therein 4 18 but ball valve 22 will be held away from seat 21 by stop bar 24.

As the pipe carrying the shoe device is run into the well bore through the mud or other well fluid which will normally be present, the latter will be displaced by the entering pipe string and will be caused to flow through openings 16 and 17 and exert upward pressure against the lower end of seat ring 19. As upward movement of the ball valve 22 will be prevented by engagement with stop bar 24, the upward movement of the seat ring will provide an opening between seat 21 and the ball valve, allowing the fluid to enter the interior of the pipe string and fill it with fluid as it descends in the well bore. As disclosed in the aforementioned US. Patent 3,062,296, the extent of the axial movement of the seat ring relative to ball valve 22, hence the area of the opening between the valve and seat, will be determined by the differential in pressure between the fluid columns inside and outside the pipe string supplemented by the force of springs 31, thereby controlling the rate at which fluid will enter the bore of the pipe string.

When the pipe string has reached the point at which cementing or other operations are to be conducted, the cement or other fluid will be pumped downwardly through the bore of the pipe string preceded by a suitable plugging device, such as plug P, which will be propelled by the fluid into bore 41 of sleeve 40 and caused to be seated on and secured to latching shoulder 45, thereby closing-oil bore 41, as best seen in FIG. 2. When the bore of sleeve 40 has thus been closed off, pressure applied to the fluid stream at the surface will be increased to an extent sufficient to break shear pins 43, thereby shifting the plugged sleeve downwardly through the bore of body 10 until the lower end portion of the sleeve engages the upper end of latch ring 26. The downward force thus applied to the latching ring will be sufficient to force snap ring 28 out of upper groove 34, allowing the latch ring to move down-- wardly, pushing seat ring 19 ahead of it until snap ring 28 engages in groove 35, thereby locking the latch ring and the now-abutting seat ring 19 in their lowered positions wherein the latter is placed in engagement with abutment ring 18. This will dispose seat 21 in position to be engaged by ball valve 22. The downward move ment of seat ring 19, as described, will have moved ball valve 22 away from its previous engagement with stop bar 24. Thus, the ball valve will be free to move in the downward direction in response to fluid flow from the interior of the pipe string, as well as upwardly against seat 21 by the pressure of any fluid attempting to flow back into the interior of the shoe through openings 16 and 17; Upon engagement of the lower end of sleeve 40 with latch ring 26, channels 44 will cooperate with the upper surface of seat ring 26- to define fluid passages which will, as seen in FIG. 2, provide fluid communication between annular space 42 and port 20 through opening 27 in the latch ring. The downward movement of sleeve 40, following breaking of shear pins 43, will open the upper end of annular space 42 to the interior of the pipe string above the plugged sleeve, as seen in FIG. 2, and will thus permit the cement or other fluid which follows plugging device P, to by-pass the plugged sleeve and flow through annular space 42 and channels 44, thence through opening 27 and port 20 past ball valve 22 which will be forced away from seat 21 and then outwardly through slots 16 and openings 17 into the well bore. Any unbalancing of the fluid columns inside and outside the pipe string in the direction tending to reverse the flow of fluid will, of course, act on ball valve 22 to urge the latter into closing engagement with seat 21, as best seen in FIG. 3.

Accordingly, it will be seen that sleeve 40, when plugged, functions to actuate the back-pressure valve to perform its normal function, while at the same time, opening fluid bypassages around the sleeve to communicate the interior of the pipe string through the valve with the well bore.

FIGS. 5 to 7, inclusive, disclose a modification of the apparatus previously described. The principal changes which are embodied in this modification comprises the placing of throat bushing 46 in the lower end of sleeve 40 to provide an upwardly facing seat 47 for engagement by a plugging device, which may be of the same character as plugging device P or may be a ball B which is propelled through the bore of the pipe string by the fluid being pumped therethrough. Throat bushing 46 has an axial bore 48 having inserted therein an orifice ring 49 constructed of flexible resilient material, such as rubber, and having a restricted axial bore 50. Orifice ring 49 functions to further control the rate of filling of the bore of the pipe string by fluid being displaced by the string as the latter is run into the well bore. It is found in some instances that the fluid flow control eifected by the movement of seat ring 19 may not be sufliciently sensitive to alford the measure of control desired. By providing the orifice ring 49 of flexible construction, its bore will tend to expand and retract in accordance with the rate at which fluid in the well bore tends to be displaced by the pipe string, thus providing a form of expansible choke and affording a further degree of control of the rate of filling of the pipe string. As a result, the rate at which the pipe string may be run into the well may be more effectively controlled without creation of ditficulties which might otherwise be encountered in such operations.

FIG. 5 shows the relation of the parts as the pipe string is being run into the well bore, sleeve 40 being initially secured to body by shear pins 43.

FIG. 6 shows the positions of the parts after plugging ball B has been inserted through the bore of the sleeve onto seat 47.

FIG. 7 shows the positions of the parts in this modification corresponding to the positions of the parts as shown in FIG. 3 of the earlier described embodiment.

It will be understood that various other modifications and alternations may be made in the details of the described embodiments within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A fill-up shoe for well pipes, comprising,

(a) a tubular body,

(b) valve means in the body for controlling fluid flow therethrough, including:

a valve member,

an annular seat member having an axial flow port and movable axially of the body between an upper position out of port-closing engagement by said valve member and a lower position disposed for port-closing engagement by said valve member,

(0) a sleeve member concentrically disposed in said body above said seat member and having a bore adapted to receive a plugging member,

(d) releasable means initially securing said sleeve member to said body in axially spaced relation to said seat member and releasable by fluid pressure applied =to the sleeve member after the bore thereof has been plugged, whereby to cause said sleeve member to move said seat member to said power position, and

(e) means carried by the sleeve member cooperating with said seat member at said lower position to define fluid passageways bypassing said sleeve member and communicating the interior of said body with said flow port.

2. A fill-up shoe according to claim 1, wherein said releasable means comprises frangible shear pins.

3. A fill-up shoe according to claim 1, wherein the bore of said sleeve member is provided with internal shoulder means engageable by said plugging member.

4. A fill-up shoe according to claim 1 including expansible orifice means mounted in the bore of said sleeve member operable to control fluid flow therethrough.

5. A fill-up shoe according to claim 4, wherein said orifice means comprises an annular body constructed of flexible resilient material having a bore the nominal area of which is substantially less than that of said sleeve member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,011,559 12/1961 Muse et al 166-225 3,051,244 8/ 1962 Litchfield 166-225 3,062,296 11/1962 Brown 166-225 3,273,650 9/1966 Alexander et a1. 166-225 CHARLES E. OCQNNELL, Primary Examiner, 

1. A FILL-UP SHOE FOR WELL PIPES, COMPRISING, (A) A TUBULAR BODY, (B) VALVE MEANS IN THE BODY FOR CONTROLLING FLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH, INCLUDING: A VALVE MEMBER, AN ANNULAR SEAT MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL FLOW PORT AND MOVABLE AXIALLY OF THE BODY BETWEEN AN UPPER POSITION OUT OF PORT-CLOSING ENGAGEMENT BY SAID VALVE MEMBER AND A LOWER POSITION DISPOSED FOR PORT-CLOSING ENGAGEMENT BY SAID VALVE MEMBER, (C) A SLEEVE MEMBER CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED IN SAID BODY ABOVE SAID SEAT MEMBER AND HAVING A BORE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLUGGING MEMBER, (D) RELEASABLE MEANS INITIALLY SECURING SAID SLEEVE MEMBER TO SAID BODY IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID SEAT MEMBER AND RELEASABLE BY FLUID PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE SLEEVE MEMBER AFTER THE BORE THEREOF HAS BEEN PLUGGED, WHEREBY TO CAUSE SAID SLEEVE MEMBER TO MOVE SAID SEAT MEMBER TO SAID POWER POSITION, AND (E) MEANS CARRIED BY THE SLEEVE MEMBER COOPERATING WITH SAID SEAT MEMBER AT SAID LOWER POSITION TO DEFINE FLUID PASSAGEWAY BYPASSING SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AND COMMUNICATING THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY WITH SAID FLOW PORT. 